Chigang Pagoda is a famous pagoda located in Chigang district.
The pagoda is located in Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

, Haizhu District, Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

 province, China.

History

Chigang Pagoda was built over four hundred years ago in 1619 during the time when Fengshui influences were pervasive. It was built during the reign of the Emperor Wanli, 47 year reign of the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

.

The building is made from red sandstone. The style of the Chigang Pagoda is influenced by the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

 architecture at the time. It was built to mirror the Pazhou Pagodain the vicinity as well.

It is said the two towers were built at the mouth of the Pearl River as a Fengshui design to bring good luck to the Guangzhou city area.

Architecture

The tower is a octagonal shape tower. It stands at 53.7 m high tower. The floor has a diameter of 12.5 meters. The tower is made up of 9 exterior floor sections. Inside the tower, it consist of 17 layers which keeps the 9 sections together.

Restoration

Over the past centuries as Chigang Pagoda exposed to the natural environment, it became a little derelict. the external wall cracked, foundation started to sink, floors became uneven due to neglect. At one stage, the tower leaned about 1.05 m from the vertical. The Guangzhou authorities in 1996 started work on its restoration but was never completed due to a lack of funds.

In 1998, the Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Management raised RMB 1.60 million to fund the restoration work for the Chigang Pagoda. The restoration and inspection completed in mid 1999.

Transport

The pagoda can be reach by rail. The pagoda is served by Chigang Pagoda Station

Chigang Pagoda Station

Chigang Pagoda Station is an interchange station on Line 3 and Zhujiang New Town Automated People Mover Systems of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 December 2005...

 on line 3 and Chigang Station

Chigang Station

Chigang Station is a station of Line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro. It started operations on 28 June 2003. It is located under the junction of Xingang Road Middle and Shiliugang Road in Haizhu District....

 on line 8 of the Guangzhou Metro

Guangzhou Metro

Guangzhou Metro is the metro system of the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province of China. It is operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Metro Corporation and was the fourth metro system to be built in mainland China, after those of Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.The earliest effort of preparation...

system.